The owner of INEOS has to apologize after getting involved in politics

Jim Ratcliffe, owner of the oil company INEOS, of the cycling team that bears the name of this company, and of Manchester United, finds himself in a difficult situation after comments about immigration in Great Britain that he had to clarify after being criticized even by the country's Prime Minister.

Jim Ratcliffe clarifies his controversial statements about immigration in Great Britain

Despite the fact that after the incidents related to pro-Palestine protests during the last edition of La Vuelta, there seemed to be a tacit agreement in the cycling world to avoid mixing sports and political issues, this does not seem to apply to Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of INEOS, who a few days ago made strong statements about immigration in Great Britain, where he left phrases as strong as “You cannot allow... you cannot have an economy with nine million people receiving social benefits and a huge number of immigrants”.

Criticism soon followed, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who stated that “Great Britain is a proud, tolerant, and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologize”; or Manchester's mayor - let’s remember that Ratcliffe also owns the legendary English club Manchester United - Andy Burnham, who described the comments of the INEOS owner as “inaccurate, insulting, incendiary, and should be retracted”.

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A couple of days ago, Jim Ratcliffe was interviewed on Sky News, where he had the opportunity to apologize. However, he chose to move forward, apologizing for the language used but standing firm on his arguments: “I regret that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and has caused concern, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth”.